It seems slightly churlish to moan about the weather when the Caribbean and New York have suffered so badly with Hurricane Sandy but, bloody hell, we've had some rain here in the past 36 hours! The water in the marina, which was crystal clear (and full of fish), turned a muddy brown yesterday as all the rain washed sediment down from the mountains and there were a lot of frustrated yachties, trapped below decks by the weather. At least on Maunie our pilothouse saloon lets us look out (past the rain streaming down the windows) rather than upwards through narrow windows slots that are the norm in most boats; the lightning flashes were pretty bright.
Clearly 2012 has been a pretty odd year for weather and it follows a series of 10 warmer-than-average years so we're either in one of the planet's natural temperature cycles or we're reaping the results of mankind's abuse of the environment (or possibly a bit of both). Personally, we're in the 'it's man-made' school of opinion and it'll be interesting to see whether the effects of Katriona and now Sandy in the States will precipitate any real change of direction when it comes to policy around the environment and climate change.
Today, at last, it has stopped raining for the moment but we are in a little low-pressure system so will have little wind and variable weather for a few days. We were planning to sail for Tenerife today but it looks as though we'd be motoring for most of the passage so have decided, instead, to renew our enthusiasm for La Gomera with a walk. Di is also threatening that we both need to buy some trainers and do some running after several days of relative inactivity! That's ok except she says she needs Graham as a running partner.
Whatever our plans, we'll head to the fresh food market this morning to stock up. Unfortunately, we've seen out first cockroaches here (hideous things) so we need to be very careful about bringing aboard unwanted visitors. We now leave shore-going shoes on deck rather than walking below in them, we remove all card packaging outside the boat (it can harbour cockroach eggs) and we're starting to wash fruit in a solution of Milton liquid before carefully drying it for storage. Unfortunately this process can shorten its storage life. Experienced tropics sailors string netting up in various places below deck to store fruit and veg so that air can circulate around it and also so that it's easy to pick our any items looking a bit mouldy. We've got the netting but haven't worked out where to rig it yet.
Must go, the sun has just come out (first sighting for about 3 days!). Hope your weather is good.
It has been wet here, only half the hedges cut as the fields are so wet tractor digging them up as he slid around. Bright and sunny this morning though and off to the sailing club for the closing up weekend. Won the final fling regatta last weekend most unusual to sail to handicap in the L2000 but helped by taking Holly for a walk before the racing and then suggesting a very asymmetric friendly course. Others liked it as well as they stuck with it for 3 races! You have obviously been cooped up too long philosophising about the weather, my beef with it is not the soggy fields but the price of Robert's chicken feed. I have been home alone this week as Barbara & rob went to scotland, taking Amy George & Heather to Lossiemouth to see the area and take in the Macallan distillery amongst other sights. Best of luck with the weather and the jogging! Steve
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